Safety device for elevators



W. J. SPRINGER.'

SAFETY nEvrcE Foa ELEvAToRs.

APPLICATION FlLED JULY 7| 1919. 1,346,274. Patented July 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS--SHEET W. J. SPRINGER. v

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATOR APPLICATION FILED mmmf 1919.

11,346,274.' Patented July 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES WILLIAM J. SPRINGER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1920.

Application mea July 7, 1919.' serial No. 309,052.

To all Li/wm it may concern Be it known that I, l/ViLLmM J. SPRINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Safety Device for Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

T his invention relates to safety devices for elevators, and its object is to minimize the danger of accidents resulting either from the elevator encountering some obstruction projecting` at a floor landing, or from engagement with the landing of some projecting part of the load carried by the elevator.

In attaining this object the invention contemplates providing trap doors both in the platform of the elevator and in the floor landing, the free edges of which doors are in close proximity when the elevator is at the landing, brackets being provided for supporting said doors in their normal horizontal positions, from which supports the doors may lift when the under face of either door encounters an obstruction projecting beyond the other door.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view showing the invention applied to a freight elevator and to two landings which said elevator approaches.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show various positions which the trap doors assume upon an obstruction being encountered under different conditions.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the portions of an elevator and landing provided with the trap doors.

In these views the reference character A. designates an elevator platform and B a landing which the elevator approaches. C and D are trap doors, hinged at C and D respectively in the platform A and landing B, and so positioned that their free edges are in proximity when the elevator is at the landing. (See Fig. 5). Each of said trap doors is normally supported in a horizontal position by a pair of brackets which are jointed to permit them to swing clear of any obstruction which might engage them from beneath. Each of said brackets comprises a yoke E bolted to one of the joists or beams F supporting' the floor B, and upper and lower arms G and H pivoted upon said yoke, the upper arm being slotted as indicated at l, and the lower arm being terminally provided with a pin J engaging' in the slot I. Thus when any of said brackets are struck from beneath, both of the arms G and H may swing upwardly about their pivotal ends, as shown at the right in Fig. 2 and at the left in Fig. 3. j

In Fig. 2, M represents a portion of the load on an elevator platform A, which portion projects as an obstruction beyond the trap door C so as to engage one of the brackets supporting the door D. Since the elevator is supposed to\be going up, as indicated by arrow in said figure, said bracket and the door D are reresented as swinginv upwardly through uch engagement.

n Fig. 3 the elevator is supposed to be descending and one of the brackets supporting the door C has encountered an obstruction N upon the landing B and projecting beyond the door D. Said bracket and the door C are represented as swinging upwardly to permit the elevator to pass said obstruction.

lIn Fig. 4 the elevator is supposed to be ascending and a portion C) of its load is projecting beyond the door C in such a manner as to encounter the door D without striking either of the brackets supporting said door. Thus thev door` is shown as swinging upwardly to clear the member O while the bracket beneath the door maintains its normal position.

From the foregoing description, it is evident that in case an obstruction projects either from the elevator suiticiently to encounter a landing or from a landing sufriciently to be struck by the elevator, a clearance for the obstruction will be effected by swinging of one of the doors C or D so that damage to the elevator, its load, and

the landing, and possible injury of persons or loss of life will be avoided.

Since the construction of the brackets is such as to positively prohibit any downward swinging of said doors, it is evident that said doors will normally be just the same in effect as the other portions of the elevator platform 0r landing.

What I claim is:

1. In a safety device for elevators,the combination with an elevator and a floor past which said elevator travels, of a pair of trap doors provided respectively in the platform of the elevator and in said ftoor,

having` their free edges in proximity whenV said platform is adjacent the floor, said doors being free to swing upwardly, and supporting brackets for said doors each com prisingupper and lower pivotally mounted arms one of which is slotted and the other provided with a pin engaging the slot whereby the bracket is upwardly angularlyV vator is adjacent the first mentioned lloor,V

ol a trap-door in one of said floors, bordering the well of the elevator, said door being tree to swingupwardly, and a supporting bracket for said door comprising ,upper and lower pivot-ally mounted arms, Voneo which is slotted and the other provided with a pin engaging the slot, whereby the bracket is upwardly Vangularly adjustableV when struck from beneath.

8. In a safety'devce for elevators, the combination withv an elevation `and a loor past whichsaid elevator travels, of a pair of trap doors hinged respectively to the platform ottheelevator and to vsaid floor, the iree edges of said doors being in prox imity when the elevator is adjacent the iioor, and brackets vupon which the doors rest ireely, upwardly angularly adjustable about `their supported ends.

ln testimony whereof l sign this specilication. n Y Y WILLIAM J. SPRINGER. 

